Machine for smoothing the edges of phonograph records



Nov. 1, 1932. mm 1,885,848

MACHINE FOR SMOOTHING THE EDGES OF PHONOGRAPH RECORDS Filed June 5. 19282 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 1, 1932. N. E. MARCH' 1,885,848

MACHINE FOR SMOOTHING THE EDGES OF PHONOGRAPH RECORDS Filed June 5, 19282 Sheets-Shea 2 l section.

Patented Nov. 1, 1932 warren stair-as earner caries homers E. MARCH, orMUSKEGON, MICHIGAN, assrenoia, BY MESNE assremrnirrs, T

UNITED RESEARCH CORPORATION,- OF' LONG ISLAND TION OF DELAWARE CITY, NEWYORK, AVCORPOBA- Macrame r03 SMOOTHING THE EDGES or PHONOGRAPI-I RECORDSApplication filed. June 5, 1928. Serial No. 283,102.

My invention relates to machines for finishing or smoothing the edges ofphonograph records. i; V L One object of my invention istoprovide amachinefor smoothing the edges of records intheir roughened condition asreceived from the pressing molds, by rotating the records and applying acutting jewel totheir edges thereby cutting away the record and produc-1?) ing a smooth edge.

Another object of my invention is to pro videa machine for moving arecordholder into opposed relation with another holder which iscontinuously rotatingand thus gripa ping a phonograph record betweensaid holders, and for then advancing a cuttingtool to the edge of saidrecord for trimming the same. 1 i Other objects and advantages of myinvention will appear as the description proceeds. Referring to theaccompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a view partly in side elevation andpartly in section of a'machine embodying my invention, a pedal foroperating the parts 5 not'being shown; and Fig. 2 is an elevational viewon an enlarged scale of the right end of the machine as viewed in Fig.1, parts being broken away and others being shown in The machineillustrated as embodying my invention comprises a pair of holders 1 and2 for a phonograph record 3, and a tool 4 for cutting the edge of therecord. The holder 1 comprises a disk 5; a pad 6, and a fabric cover 7stretched over the pad and secured tothe disk. A drive shaft 8 on whichthe disk 5 is mounted rotates in bearings 9 on a'support 10 and isdriven by a 4 sheave ll'and has a flywheel 12 for steadying the sameduring the trimming of the records. I The holder 2 is similar to theholder 1 in thatit comprises a disk 18, a pad 14:, and a cover 15, butit is provided with a socket 16 forreceiving the reduced end of theshaft 8 on which the record 3is mounted andwhich respective housing 20fora respective spring P 21. The action ofthe springs 21is to force theejector plate 17 outwardly to push the record away from the face ofthemain body of the holder'l so that it may be readily withdrawn by theoperator and replaced by another untrimmed record. Nuts 22 on the endsof the bolts '18 areengageable with the housings 20 to limit themovement of the ejector plate- V W hen the holder 2 is in the positionshown in Fig. 1 it is rotated by the driving force of the shaft 8transmitted through the holder 1, a supporting shaft 23 for the holder 2being mounted on anti-friction bearings 24 which are carried by a slide25. The slide is reciprocable in a guide 26 on a support 27 and its endis bifurcated and carries a pin 28 which extends through a slot 29 inthe arm 30 of a bell crank lever. The bell crank lever is pivoted on asupport31 and has an opening in the end ofits other arm through which alink 82 is slidable. A nut 33 is threaded on the upper end of the linkand a spring 34 is coiled about the link and compressed between the nutand the end of the bell crank lever. The lower end of the link ispivotally connected to a pedal 35 which may be depressed by an operatorto move the bell crank lever by means of the spring 34 and thus forcethe slide 25 forwardly to cause the holder 2 to press upon a record.When the operatorreleases the pedal 35 the bell crank lever is moved ina reverse direction by means of a plunger 36 which is urged by a spring37 mounted in a recess 38 in the support 27.

The bell crank carries also a finger in which a screw 41 is threaded,the latter being I engageable with the support 27, for limiting themovement of the bell crank, thus determining the limit of movement ofthe holder 2 away from the holder 1.

The link 32 has a collar 42 adjustably secured thereon by means of ascrew 43, and on the depression of the pedal 35 the collar 42 is broughtinto engagement with the arm of a lever 44. the engagement taking placeafter the holder 2 is brought into the holding position shown in Fig. 1.The lever 44 is connected by-a link 45 to a carrier 46 for the tool 4and movement of the lever 44 causes the carrier to advance towards theedge of the record 3, the carrier being slidable in a guide 47.

A hard cutting-jewel 48, such as a diamond, on the tool 4 is broughtinto engagement with the rotating record and cuts away the edge thereof,which is rough and irregular when the record is first received from thepressing mold. The cutting edge of the jewel is preferably curved inorder that the record may be given a somewhat rounded edge lacking insharp corners which would tend to cause scratching by the engagement ofone record with another. Screws 50 secure the tool to the carrier andpermit adjustment ofits position so that it may be dis posed at theright angle with respect to the record. As will be observed from Figure4, theexposed face of the diamond 48 is provided with a curvedre-entrant cutting edge, while the diamond, with the exception of itscutting face and a marginal portion of the front surface thereof, isfirmly embedded in the holder so as to prevent accidental breakingthereof when in use. The holder 4 is provided on its outer face withsufiicient chip clearance, as indicatedin dotted lines in Fig. 4, toinsure the proper operation of the cutter. V

Phonograph records are composed of hard gritty substances and haveincorporated within them particles of filler such as slate, but machinesembodying applicants. invention and incorporating a diamond cutter havebeen found to be quite satisfactory in operation and cut away thoroughedges of the records, producing a' smooth edge having a neat appearance.The operation of the device is such that breakage of records is reducedto a minimum, and the machine is quite economical in operation as thescrap which is trimmed from the records can be used as stock in makingother records. This is an advantage over the use, for instance, of sandpaper, as in the latter case sand is abraded from the paper and mingleswith the scrap, rendering it unfit for further use. The tools remain inoperative condition also throughout long periods without necessitatingrenewal.

My invention is not limited to the specific steps of the processdescribed, nor to the specific details of construction, but may bemodified in various ways, and a substantial range of equivalents iscontemplated within the spirit of the invention and the scope of theappended claims.

What I desire to claim as new and to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination of a pair of holders for a phonograph record of thedisk type, means for rotating the same, a tool having a cutting jewelthereon movable into engagement with the unfinished edge of said record,a pedal movable by an operator and means operable on the depression ofsaid pedal for moving one of said holders into opposed relation Withrespect to the other for gripping a record therebetween and thereaftermoving said tool to apply said jewel to the edge of said record.

2. The combination of a pair of holders for a phonograph record of thedisktype, means for rotating the same, means including a spring forforcing one of said holders against a record interposed between saidholders and for maintaining a pressure on said record, a toolhaving'adiamond thereon, means for moving said'tool to apply said diamond to theedge of said record for smoothing the same, and a common actuating meansincluding a single control member movable by an operator for firstactuating the second mentioned means and thereby gripping said recordand thereafter advancing said tool to trim'the edge of said record.

3. The combination of a pair of holders for a phonograph record of thedisk type, means for rotating said holders, means for moving oneof saidholders towards the other to grip a record interposed between saidholders, a tool for trimming the edge of said record, means foradvancing said tool into engagement with the edge of said record, amember movable by an operator, a connection including a springinterposed between said member and the second mentioned means forcausing one of said holders to exert a pressure on said record, saidconnection permitting further movement of said member after said one ofsaid holders is moved into grip ping relation with said record, andmeans operable on the further movement of, said member for actuating thethird mentioned means and advancing said tool'into engagement with saidedge of said record.

4. The combination of a pair of holders for a phonograph record of thedisk type, means for rotating said holders, one of said holders having amember adapted to project through the aperture in the record forcentering the same, means for moving the other of said holders towardsand from said one of said holders, meansfor smoothing the edge of therecord on the rotation thereof, and

means including an ejector adjacent said member for forcing said recordaway from the face of said one of said holders on the removal of saidother of said holders to permit the withdrawal of the record by anoperator.

5. The combination of a pair of rotatable record holders, one of saidholders of the disk type having a member receivable in the aperture in arecord for centering thesame, the other of said holders being movabletowards and from the centered record for gripping and releasing same,means for rotating said holders, an ejector surrounding said member andresilient means for actuating said ejector after said other of saidholders is moved away from said record to force said record away fromthe face of said one of said holders;

6. A record trimming machine comprising in combination, a spindle memberhaving bearings, a supporting frame, a flywheel, and

a record carrying member comprising a face plate, an ejector platethereon, a fabric pad tliereover, and a centering pin, a second spindle,means for moving it endwise, a second record holder comprising a faceplate having a pad cover, means for driving said firstmentioned spindle,and a cutting tool movable towards said holders.

7. A record trimming machine, comprising a spindle, means for supportingand driving said spindle, a record holder thereon, comprising a faceplate, having a concentric, recess, a spring operated stripper platewithin said recess, a pad covering said face plate and said stripperplate, a second spindle co-axial with said first mentioned spindle,means for moving it endwise towards said first mentioned spindle, asecond face plate and pad mounted thereon, and a cutter tool adapted tobe advanced towards said record holders.

8. A record trimming machine, comprising a spindle, means for supportingand driving said spindle, a record holder thereon, comprising a faceplate, having a concentric recess, a spring operated stripper platewithin said recess, a pad covering said face plate and said stripperplate, a second spindle coaxial with said first mentioned spindle, meansfor moving it endwise towards said first mentioned spindle, a secondface plate and pad mounted thereon, and a cutter tool adapted to beadvanced towards said record holders, and a pedal means adapted toactuate said second mentioned spindle, and to advance said cutter tooltowards said record holders.

9. A record trimming machine, comprising a spindle, means for supportingand driving said spindle, a record holder thereon, comprising a faceplate, having a concentric recess, a spring operated stripper platewithin said recess, a pad covering said face plate and said stripperplate, a second spindle coaxial with said first mentioned spindle, meansfor moving it endwise towards said first mentioned spindle, a secondface plateand pad mounted thereon, a cutter tool adapted to be advancedtowards said record holders, and a pedal means adapted to actuate saidsecond mentioned spindle, and to advance said cutter tool towards saidrecord holders, comprising an eye member attached to said spindleadvancing means, a rod member passing through said eye member, a springcooperating between said rod and eye, to advance said spindle, and allowsaid rod to continue to move, a slide member for said holder, and linkand lever members cooperating between said rod and said slide to advancesaid tool holder.

NORRIS E. MARCH.

